The Adventures Harry Richmond — Volume 1 eBook

I saw him mount high. When he tapped at the
window I remembered it was Julia’s; I heard
her cry out inside. The window rose slowly.
Heriot spoke:

’I have come to say good-bye to you, Julia,
dear girl: don’t be afraid of me.’
She answered inaudibly to my ears. He begged
her to come to him at once, only once, and hear him
and take his hand. She was timid; he had her
fingers first, then her whole arm, and she leaned over
him. ’Julia, my sweet, dear girl,’
he said; and she:

’Heriot, Walter, don’t go—­don’t
go; you do not care for me if you go. Oh, don’t
go.’

‘We’ve come to it,’ said Heriot.

She asked why he was not in bed, and moaned on:

‘Don’t go.’ I was speechless
with wonder at the night and the scene. They
whispered; I saw their faces close together, and Heriot’s
arms round her neck. ‘Oh, Heriot, my darling,
my Walter,’ she said, crying, I knew by the
sound of her voice.

‘Tell me you love me,’ said Heriot.

‘I do, I do, only don’t go,’ she
answered.

‘Will you love me faithfully?’

‘I will; I do.’

‘Say, “I love you, Walter."’

‘I love you, Walter.’

‘For ever.’

’For ever. Oh! what a morning for me.
Do you smell my honeysuckle? Oh, don’t
go away from me, Walter. Do you love me so?’

‘I’d go through a regiment of sabres to
get at you.’

’But smell the night air; how sweet! oh, how
sweet! No, not kiss me, if you are going to
leave me; not kiss me, if you can be so cruel!’

‘Do you dream of me in your bed?’

‘Yes, every night.’

‘God bless the bed!’

’Every night I dream of you. Oh! brave
Heriot; dear, dear Walter, you did not betray me;
my father struck you, and you let him for my sake.
Every night I pray heaven to make you forgive him:
I thought you would hate me. I cried till I
was glad you could not see me. Look at those
two little stars; no, they hurt me, I can’t look
at them ever again. But no, you are not going;
you want to frighten me. Do smell the flowers.
Don’t make them poison to me. Oh, what
a morning for me when you’re lost! And
me, to look out on the night alone! No, no more
kisses! Oh, yes, I will kiss you, dear.’